Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Muslims condemn destruction of HIndu Temple in Paksitan

We
condemn this disgraceful act of destroying the Hindu Temple in
Pakistan, and request the Government of Pakistan the following actions:

1. Punish the Builder and the miscreants involved in the destruction of the temple. 2.
The builder to rebuild the Temple or the Government of Pakistan to
rebuild it, as it has restored Krishna Temple in Lahore several years
ago.3. Request the Government of Pakistan to ensure safety of all of her citizens.

Three years ago, a similar incident took place in Indonesia, where the bad guys burnt a Church, and an appeal was made to
the Muslims around to contribute towards rebuilding the Church,
fortunately the Government of Indonesia took care of it. I am asking
all in general, but Muslims in particular to be ready to contribute
funds to rebuild the temple. Mike Ghouse World Muslim CongressDallas, Texas....................

Karachi
When
Laxman saw four men entering the Hindu temple with their shoes on, he
instantly yelled at them to stop in their tracks. But the only reward he
got for trying to protect the sanctity of his place of worship was a
beating. With every punch and kick, he was called names like Bhangi
(sweeper) and Kafir (infidel).

“I can’t explain
how I felt at that moment. I was both enraged and terrified,” said the
35-year-old resident of the Shri Rama Mandir compound in Soldier Bazaar.

The
demolition of the century-old temple stirred a sense of insecurity
among the already frightened Hindu community in the city and reaffirmed
its belief that people practicing the religion existed as second-class
citizens in Pakistan.

“I said they can shoot me if
they like, but I won’t let them go in with shoes,” said Laxman, a man
partially paralysed by a stroke.

“Half of my body does not work, but at that moment, Rama Pir gave me the strength to fight, and I did what I could,” he said.

The
men put the statues and tridents from the temple out on the ground.
Then a bulldozer reduced the pre-partition Mandir to rubble. A number of
houses in the compound were also demolished, rendering around a dozen
families homeless. They even pried opened the donation box and took away
the cash and jewellery, the residents alleged.

“We
have been living in this compound since the British era”, said Maharaj
Badriram, the priest of the Shri Rama Pir Mandir. “We never had any
problems with the larger community, but the treatment meted out on this
occasion was inhumane. People look to me for help, but now, I find
myself helpless,” he said.

A 17-year-old Hindu
boy, who took video footage of the planned demolition, claimed that some
bearded men associated with a political party oversaw the destruction.
“I don’t understand how people can insult the religion of others and
expect respect in return,” he said.

The President
of the Schedule Caste Federation Pakistan, Kalidas Khandara, said that
people in the country take Hindus for granted. “They think we are weak,
so they can intimidate us, but this time, it won’t happen.”

Protest

Hundreds
of people from the Hindu community staged a peaceful rally from Doli
Khata, Soldier Bazaar, to the Karachi Press Club to protest against the
demolition of the Shri Rama Pir Mandir, which was illegally demolished
on Saturday.

“Every time a temple is threatened,
we have to run to the courts. It is the third time it has happened this
year,” said Ramesh Kumar Wakwani, the head of the Pakistan Hindu
Council.

“There should be a stipulated policy for our properties in this country; we are also a part of Pakistan.”

The protestors demanded that the government immediately restore the temple with all its dignity.

Wakwani
said that the double standards against Hindus in the city could be
gauged from the fact that those coming from outside and building shanty
towns in Karachi get leases, but Hindus living here for more than a
century were still considered illegal.

Speaking
about the demolished temple, Kalidas Khandara of the Scheduled Caste
Federation said that Ramapir Mandir was restored by the government in
the year 2000, which went to show that the place of worship was not only
registered, but received government grants as it was a\deserving
heritage site.

Sources in the community informed
this scribe that representatives of Hindus were planning to register a
blasphemy case against the real estate builders and government
officials, who flouted court orders and destroyed a religious site.

Demolition condemned

Leading
activist and former federal minister for human rights, Ansar Burney,
strongly condemned the demolition of the Hindu temple in Karachi and
demanded that strict action against be taken against the builders. He
also called on authorities to ensure the safety of the Hindu community,
PPI adds.

Burney said the demolition of the
century-old temple on Saturday by a builder triggered large-scale
protests by human and civil rights activists as well as the Hindu
community.

Burney said the builder not only
demolished the temple, but in a blasphemous act, his workers
disrespected the idols of Hindu deities placed inside the temple.

He
said some people allied with the builder physically hurt some members
of the minority. “Everyone should be free to practice his or her
religion and it is the duty of the government to ensure the safety and
security of minorities living in Pakistan,” Burney stressed.

He
said many Hindu families of Pakistan had already migrated to India due
to persecution and humiliation at the hands of fundamentalists.

“The
builder claims that the land, where the temple is constructed, has been
encroached upon. Even if that is so, the builder should not have
demolished the temple as a humanitarian gesture,” he said. The human
rights activist concluded that he would take up the issue with the local
authorities to ensure that the minority gets justice.

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